Justice has a deadline, and it’s about to expire.
Owners of Sandy-damaged homes who suspect that they were hornswoggled when the Federal Emergency Management Agency turned a blind eye to fraudulent claim denials by unscrupulous insurance companies, have until Oct. 15 to request a review from the Feds.
After fessing up to abetting the fraud earlier this year, the federal disaster agency is encouraging people to file for reimbursements before the Thursday deadline.
“If you believe your Sandy-flood claim was underpaid for any reason, ask us to take another look,” said Roy Wright, the federal agency’s deputy associate administrator for insurance and mitigation. “It won’t cost you anything to find out if you are owed money, but we can’t review your claim unless we hear from you.”
Adjusters with the National Flood Insurance Program are already reviewing an incredible 16,000 Sandy-related flood claims which property owners suspect fraudulently reduced by insurance companies that altered engineering reports to avoid paying out.
The deadline to file for a review was originally scheduled for last month, but was extended after elected officials, including Sen. Chuck Schumer (D–Park Slope), Sen. Kristen Gillibrand (D–New York), Councilman Mark Treyger (D–Coney Island), and Mayor Bill DeBlasio, convinced the Feds to give these twice-victimized Sandy victims at least one more month to ask the agency for help correcting a fraud it should never have allowed to occur.
Not every review will result in additional payments, according to the disaster agency, but approximately three of four reviews have found additional eligible expenses.
To be eligible for the review, policyholders must have filed a claim for flood damage experienced between Oct. 27 and Nov. 6, 2012, as a result of Hurricane Sandy, and must have had an active National Flood Insurance Program policy at the time of the loss.
Policyholders can go online to www.fema.gov/hurricane-sandy-nfip-claims to download a form requesting a review. The form can be filled out electronically and emailed to FEMA-sandyclaimsreview@fema.dhs.gov or faxed to (202) 646–7970. Individuals who are deaf, hard of hearing, or have a speech disability and use 711 or VRS should call (866) 337–4262. Individuals using a teletypewriter should call (800) 462–7585.
